THE BREWHOUSE WAS where everyone hung out after games. It was an older bar with wood tables, perfect for getting together with friends. After tonight’s win, it was packed with cheering fans, all vying for our attention, but all I cared about was getting to Sid.
Lucas led the way through the crowd to get to the girls’ table. “You ready?”
“For what?”
He wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “To see your girl after she’s watched you play?”
“Fuck off, asshole.” I shrugged him off and walked toward the table, ignoring the little thrill his words evoked.
He called from behind me, “We’ll see.”
A tight feeling of possessiveness filled my chest when I spotted Sidney. She was stunning, standing in front of the high-top wood table, completely relaxed while everyone talked over each other. My fingers itched to run through her dark hair. It was perfectly in place, and everything in me wanted to go over there and mess it up.
A low growl formed at the back of my throat when Johnsy stepped to her side. He was in his rookie year and had already made a name for himself as a man whore. Sidney had to tilt her head to look at him, and the fucker leaned in closer. Fire burned through my veins when his fingers slid over her waist, shifting her out of the way of guys piling into the bar.
Fuck this.
My feet ate up the space between us, and before I could think better of it, I wrapped my arms around her waist and tugged her back against my chest. “How’d you like the game, Sid?”
Her body tensed for a second, but she relaxed into my hold, turning her face to look at me, eyes full of curiosity.
“I liked when that huge guy landed a punch,” she said, her voice teasing.
A loud buzzing coursed through my body when Sidney smiled at me, a little awe shining in her eyes. It looked like my girl enjoyed watching me play.
My chest rumbled with my suppressed laugh, and I tightened my arms around her waist, drawing a squeak from her. “Of fucking course you saw that. I thought you’d pay more attention to the hat trick I scored.”
Johnsy cleared his throat, looking between us. “Uh, sorry, Ryder. I didn’t know.”
“Know what?” Sid cut in, but I didn’t let him answer. God, I fucking knew she’d be pissed if she caught me staking a claim on her. Didn’t stop me from doing it, though.
“Now you fucking do.” I stared down at him until he shifted his weight from foot to foot.
“Yeah, alright. Um, yeah, have a good night, Sidney.” He disappeared through the crowd faster than should’ve been possible.
“What was that?” Sid asked, accusation clear in her voice, and pulled from my arms.
“Nothing.” I smirked, and she rolled her eyes. She turned her attention to Piper, who was currently wrapped in Lucas’s arms, but her eyes kept drifting my way. That invisible magnet caused constant tension between us.
“Move over.” Alex sat on the stool beside Mia. Beside them, Lucas had lifted Piper onto his lap. Piper caught my eye when she leaned into his chest and winked at me. I didn’t like her all-knowing look since I wasn’t even sure I knew what was going on between Sid and me.
Sid glanced between the last stool and me. “You can take it. You played tonight and all.”
Piper smiled wide. “Just sit on his lap. There’s no reason for you to stand. It’s not like he’s going to bite you.”
I sank my teeth into my bottom lip to prevent myself from saying I’d do just that and sat down. I slid my fingers through Sidney’s belt loops and pulled her between my knees. “You look good with my jersey on, Trouble.”
She tucked her head, and her teeth gnawed on her lower lip. I grazed my lips against her ear, and the smooth column of her neck erupted with goose bumps. All I was able to think about since we kissed was the way she tasted and the bite of her nails when they dug into my hair.
She paused and searched my gaze, her chest lifting with each hurried breath. I wanted to say fuck everyone and take her home, but my girl wouldn’t like that. Instead, I grazed my fingers up her waist and lifted her onto my lap so she was situated on my right thigh and her legs hung between mine. Her eyes were fiery, and they slowly moved lower, fixating on my mouth. I suppressed a groan when she trembled in my arms. We had an unspoken understanding to keep whatever was happening between us quiet for now, but if she kept looking at me like that, I was going to say fuck it and haul her ass on the table so everyone knew.
I suppressed the urge to do just that and smoothed her hair behind her shoulder, twisting a silver streak between my fingers. “I’m glad you came tonight.”
“Don’t look so proud of yourself. I was coerced.” She flashed me that sassy smirk I loved so much.
“Worth it to get you here.” I winked. We stared at each other for who knows how long. She looked away from me when someone coughed, but I could see a blush turning her neck and cheeks pink. A quick glance revealed everyone was watching us with I-told-you-so smiles on their faces.
She took a deep sip of her fruity drink, then another. It looked like we were here for the night. A thrill went through me at the prospect of being with Sid for the next few hours.
“So, Sidney, what are your plans after graduation this spring?” River asked her, but he flicked a look at me as if saying, “Pay attention.” He didn’t have to worry. I knew all about her plans.
“I’ve got an internship lined up in Ottawa.” Her voice tipped up at the end with excitement.
River smiled at her, nodding. “Impressive. Here I thought we were the ones that were heading for success.”
“She’s been working on getting this internship for years,” Mia chimed in from across the table, practically beaming. “She has an entire strategic game plan on how she’s going to be the youngest accepted member of parliament. This job’s only the first step in her career. Before you know it, even famous hockey players will talk about how they knew her in school.”
I brushed my hand against Sidney’s. “I already knew you were special.”
A slight pain formed in my chest. I was playing with fire, and I knew I was the one who would get burned. I gulped my beer and tried to let that go. I would never try to stand between her and her dream, and I already knew she wouldn’t try to block me from mine.
Sid swallowed and whispered, “Thanks, Jax.”
She leaned her weight into me, head resting on my shoulder, and laughed when Alex yanked Mia onto his lap. River glared daggers at him. There was something going on between them, and I just hoped they didn’t fuck it up.
Alex ignored River and asked me, “Why do you look like you knew that already?”
“Because I know pretty much everything about her.”
She made a strangled noise. “You do not.”
“I know you, Trouble.”
She huffed, shaking her head. “Please. Barely.”
I paused until the weight of my gaze pulled hers to mine. I was dead fucking serious. “Try me.”
“What?” Her brows pulled together so hard I’d think I’d thrown her off if it wasn’t for the deep flush crawling up her neck.
I’d been paying attention, and it was time she knew it.
“I bet I can answer any question about you.”
The table went silent around us, but all my attention was on Sid.
She tilted her head, trying to read me. “Is everything a game to you?”
“You aren’t.”
She sucked in a breath and bit into her lower lip. This girl better be careful, or I would kiss her in front of everyone. She gnawed on the delicate skin before saying. “What do you get?”
“If I can answer all of your questions, you have to call me ‘King’ for a week.”
She barked out a laugh. “Yeah, no.”
“Oh, come on, Sidney,” Lucas taunted. “Are you worried he’ll win?”
Her eyes snapped back to mine.
“Yeah, Trouble. You worried?” Come on, Trouble. Take the bait.
Sid studied me for a minute, then shrugged. “There’s no way you’re winning this.”
“Watch me.”
“Fine. Three questions.”
“Deal.”
Everyone leaned toward us, now the most exciting thing in the bar.
“What’s my favorite color?”
“You’d think I’d guess blue because of your coat, but it’s really the deep plum you get all your binders in.”
Her eyes went wide. “How did you…”
“I told you. I’ve been paying attention. That’s one.”
She drummed her fingers on the table, trying to think of something harder. Mia piped in instead. “What’s her favorite food?”
I checked with Sid, and when she nodded, I answered, “She’ll eat pretty much anything, but her favorite is chocolate croissants.” It was a guess, but it was right.
Sidney took what felt like forever to come up with the last question. When she had it, she faced me, her tongue poking into the side of her cheek, trying to hold back her smile. She thought she had me. “If I was an animal, what would I be?”
Fuck. I should say something cute, like a fox. She was definitely sly like one, but that wasn’t what she’d call herself. No, she liked to stay inside, curled up, and not move for hours. That was how she got her best work done. Hell, it was even what she did for fun, plugging into a book for hours at a time. What fucking animal did that? A slow smile pulled at the corner of my lips. “A sloth.”
As soon as I said it, the table erupted, and everyone gave me shit for my answer. But disbelief filled Sid’s face, and I knew I’d won.
“Okay, you win, Jax.” She rolled her pretty green eyes, trying to look unaffected, but she was snuggled in closer, and her fingers tightened into my shirt.
“He what?” Alex and Mia shouted, but I ignored them.
I slid my fingers along her jaw and tilted her face to mine. “What was that?”
When she didn’t automatically say it, I thought she was going to fold, but she surprised me when she lifted, bringing our lips closer, mirroring the seconds before she kissed me, and said in a low, seductive voice that went straight to my cock. “You win, King.”
Fuck. If we were anywhere else, I would’ve had her laid out in front of me. She said it like a challenge, but she didn’t know I picked King because I wanted to be called by her last name.
Several hours passed, and we were all a little glassy-eyed, winding down from a night full of laughter. I looked at Sid, who was still leaning against me. “I really liked you being at my game tonight.”
“You were pretty spectacular out there.” There was a little wonder in her voice, and she nestled into my chest. She was spinning her red hair elastic I wore on my wrist. She’d left it at my place the other night, and I’d been wearing it ever since.
“Yeah, you think so.”
“Don’t push it.” She pinched my side, making me jump.
I didn’t want to call it a night, even though it was long past time to leave. Everyone else was already up and getting ready, but I took note that Sid was in no hurry to go either. I idly drew circles on the soft skin of her forearm before slowly sliding my hand down until my fingers grazed hers. Goose bumps crawled up her arm as I worked my fingers back gently, interlacing them with hers—
“Alright, hot stuff, let the girl go,” Mia said with a laugh. “She and I have to get back before our cab turns into a pumpkin.”
Sidney moved away from me, no longer in the trance that held us both here. She smiled when she noticed I was still looking at her, making me want to drag her back to my side. Instead, she grabbed onto Mia’s hand and turned in the exit’s direction.
“I’ll walk you out.” I scrambled from my stool and placed my hand over the base of her spine, not ready to let her go. Our gazes met a little too long, but her eyes turned serious, and she glanced away. Disappointment flooded me when their cab was already waiting for them outside. Talk about a lesson in wanting something you couldn’t have. Taking a deep breath, I let it out, but before I could say anything, Sidney lifted on her toes and kissed just next to my lips. “See you Monday, King.”
Monday had never sounded so appealing or felt so far away. Piper came up beside me as I watched them leave. She was practically bouncing with repressed excitement.
“Don’t start.” I gave her a warning glare, but it just made her smile wider.
Fuck, I was utterly and completely screwed.
